Economic Collapse Is Already Upon Us

[shaker281]

Originally Posted by mathjak107

I tend to disagree, i think someone who is a a person a company considers to be best 0f breed will rarely be let go for a younger one without equal skills. perhaps if they were on the edge of retiring anyway they may be. we may make ourselves feel better about loosing a job because we think that was the case but i tend to doubt many cases are actually like that.

When a large company is cutting thousands of jobs, they are not as particular as you might think. When entire projects are canceled, few people are protected. The point being, lots of folks are let go despite their skills, talents and work habits.

Furthermore, once you are let go and find a new position you are in a very tenuous position. Getting cut again when the wind turns unfavorable is not unlikely. Soon you may bear the mark of damaged goods.

To paraphrase, we may make ourselves feel better about keeping a job because we think we are deserving, but that may not always be the case.

[mathjak107]

it may not be true in all cases but its been my expierinces that those still standing after massive layoffs are those the company felt indespensible or not replaceable easily. i have been privy to alot of those selections thru my years and the discussions that go deciding who goes and who stays.
there are always reasons for letting those go who are not kept and its generally performance related, there is always someone who is a better choice or more valuable.

our industry is starving for great people. but even in this downturn there are few floating around who are a companies top tier . a company i once worked for was going under last month so i found out and got the inside scoop. we hired their top in a heartbeat because those folks would have been snatched up by competitors in a day or so..

there are sooooo many un-employed in the electrical industry today and we interview every day but what we see still un-employed are rarely the cream of the crop. i can guarantee you each one of them thinks they were let go from their last job for a multitude of reasons other then they were just not the best. im not saying they are poor performers either, they just arent up at the top of what they do.

[Philip T]

Sure. Been around this cycle a few times.

The really sharp folks smell that the forest is on fire and are out of there before it hits.

Seen this on Defense Contracting, Construction, Energy, and other fields.

One can play the game successfully whether things are up or down.

Matters less what cards are dealt you than how you play the game.

[rkcarguy]

I'm with tightwad, because the math doesn't work.
It's rumored that our nations debt responsibility equals over $1,000,000 per family...got your checkbook out?
I work in construction and things are UGLY. Vendors and suppliers are folding, the business journal that came out friday had 5 pages of projects and articles, and 36 PAGES of foreclosures!
On top of all this..wall street speculators are bidding up fuel and materials when demand is nil.
Phil is right, there is a cycle...but sadly this cycle isn't typical. The graph has gone up-then dropped a little, up again...then dropped a little....and now we have inflated ourselves out of competitiveness in the world market and accumulated massive debt. The only way out is one big step DOWN.

[RiverBird]

[quote=mathjak107;17669224]

Originally Posted by shaker281

As a survivor in a company that went through 10 years of "downsizing" to the tune of tens of thousands of employees, I can say that you are misrepresenting the facts. My division went from more than 400 at one time to around 20 at present. Lots of folks with exceptional skills and work ethics were laid off and some with questionable skill sets and work habits remain.

in some cases age was a factor, or pension eligibility, or cluelessness by the decision makers, or the "buddy" system. The guy who collected for the bosses Xmas gift is still here!

Some entire departments were dumped. And, yes, in some cases people with critical skills were retained. But this was not necessarily the rule.

I remind you this comes from someone who survived the cullings![/QUOte

i tend to disagree, i think someone who is a person a company considers to be best 0f breed will rarely be let go for a younger one without equal skills. perhaps if they were on the edge of retiring anyway they may be but i think this rarely happens .there is usually more to it then that. we may make ourselves feel better about loosing a job because we think that was the case but i tend to doubt many cases are actually like that. plain and simple those top tier employees are a companies greatest asset and unless that company is on life support they dont let those people go!

It would be interesting to know the age groups at your workplace--of those who were retained and those who were let go. I think the older employees, smart contributors or not, get the shaft for several reasons--the younger ones do what they're told and are not likely to question things, and they are also more flexible and require less pay and benefits. I've seen several I know get laid off just as they were approachinng 60, after decades of expertise in their jobs.

[slackjaw]

Originally Posted by newenglandgirl

--the younger ones do what they're told and are not likely to question things

lol

[nightbird47]

Originally Posted by shaker281

When a large company is cutting thousands of jobs, they are not as particular as you might think. When entire projects are canceled, few people are protected. The point being, lots of folks are let go despite their skills, talents and work habits.

Furthermore, once you are let go and find a new position you are in a very tenuous position. Getting cut again when the wind turns unfavorable is not unlikely. Soon you may bear the mark of damaged goods.

To paraphrase, we may make ourselves feel better about keeping a job because we think we are deserving, but that may not always be the case.

A relative of mine is primarily responsible for one of the miniturized parts of your laptop. Most of the pattons, while owned by the company, have his name. His division was to be discontinured. He was laid off. You are absolutely right about this. It doesn't matter how valuable your skills or how much you have benefited the company it depends entirely on how much they need what you have. Later on they may need you but they won't be thinking of that at the moment.